SWMBO wants to buy me an Apple Watch for my birthday. I don't really need one and I'm not overly bothered about getting one. But she's been insistent it's what she wants to get me.I've looked at them online and we will go into the store next week to look and try them on. Mainly deciding on size, and maybe a different strap.

Has anyone on here bought an apple watch?Any thoughts?Would it be better to wait until Christmas, at which point Watch 4 will be out and either buy that or a reduced Watch 3?

I've had a couple of trackers and smart watches. The best were the FitBits. They at least can take you through nearly a week between charges.

Having notifications on your wrist is fun at first, but I quickly deactivated it, because it is just distracting when working.

The one thing I really did find useful with the FitBits is that it did get me to walk longer for a while. I would always try and exceed my 10,000 steps goal. In fact, over 3 years I think, apart from 2 operations, where I couldn't really walk for a week or so afterwards and one bout of the 'flu, I achieved the 10,000 steps on over 99% of days - on many days I exceeded the steps by over 50% (i.e. 15-17.000 steps).

Also, because the battery life works for nearly a week (and then 2 hour recharges), I used it to measure my sleep patterns over a long period and could use the data to show to my doctor, so that we could discuss ways to get a better sleep pattern (between 4 and 5 hours or broken sleep a night, now 6 - 7 hours with fewer interruptions with the new water bed).

But then it started to get obsessive. I was concentrating on getting the 250 steps / hour for 9 hours done etc. and not concentrating on actually "living".

Thanks to the smartwatch, I now know roughly when I have my 10,000 steps, but, because it is safely stored away in a cupboard, I don't obsess about it and I am much more relaxed.

Another big minus for smartwatches and activity trackers is that they are wildly inaccurate! I've managed to walk through the house, up the stairs, go to the bathroom, go to the toilet and get into bed for a grand total of 0 steps! (That should be around 150.) On the other hand, scratching my tummy whilst watching TV can be good for 250 steps... And cooking is a great way to get missing steps! Cut up the vegetables and stir a stew and you can quickly get a missing 2,000 steps in!

The biggest problem with true "smart" watches is that they need recharging every day or 2. In contrast, the battery in my old Casio watch finally gave up the ghost after over 15 years of service! My Seiko Kinetik doesn't even need a battery. I've gone back to traditional watches, because they cause less stress and they are more "reliable".

The big question is, what do you need the Apple Watch for? Do you need a specific app or specific feature? Does the Apple Watch do that best?

If you really want to do fitness tracking, get a proper fitness tracker (Garmin, Polar etc. but remember to turn on the privacy settings in the app!). If you just want to see how late you are for work, get a proper watch. If you just have to be notified of the latest messages appearing on your phone, even when it is in another room, then a smartwatch might be useful.

Also, don't forget, this is a device with a very limited lifespan. My Casio just needed a 1€ battery and it was back up and running for another 15 years... The Apple Watch will be dumped a lot sooner than that. If she really wants to get you something special, then invest that money in a high quality, proper watch with a personal engraving. That is something that can last a lifetime.

_________________"Do you know what this is? Hmm? No, I can see you do not. You have that vacant look in your eyes, which says hold my head to your ear, you will hear the sea!" - Londo Molari

I've had a couple of trackers and smart watches. The best were the FitBits. They at least can take you through nearly a week between charges....Another big minus for smartwatches and activity trackers is that they are wildly inaccurate!

Yup I'm aware of the inaccuracy of these trackers, and how it can misinterpret actions. If I were ever going to get a FitBit, I'd have had one already.

big_D wrote:

Having notifications on your wrist is fun at first, but I quickly deactivated it, because it is just distracting when working.

I turn off most notifications on my phone. I think the only things are reminders for appointments/meetings/tasks I need to do, and for texts and whatsapp messages. I don't really need notifications for anything else.

big_D wrote:

The biggest problem with true "smart" watches is that they need recharging every day or 2.

I'm not bothered about this since I charge my phone every night and I could quite easily charge the watch as well. I don't wear one to bed any more. I stopped when I started working as a doctor as soap and water would get trapped under the strap and stay like that until I removed my watch. Prior to that, I wore one day and night.

big_D wrote:

The big question is, what do you need the Apple Watch for? Do you need a specific app or specific feature? Does the Apple Watch do that best?

Nope. I have a watch that I was given for my 21st which cost over £2000 and I wear that to special occasions. I have my standard £300 watch that I've worn for the past seven years and is going well.

big_D wrote:

Also, don't forget, this is a device with a very limited lifespan. My Casio just needed a 1€ battery and it was back up and running for another 15 years... The Apple Watch will be dumped a lot sooner than that. If she really wants to get you something special, then invest that money in a high quality, proper watch with a personal engraving. That is something that can last a lifetime.

That's my issue - I'd rather we kept the £700 and spent it on something else. I had my iPhone 4S for four years, and I see no reason to swap out my 6S for another two years. I'm aiming for a four year cycle on my iPhone, so I'd like the watch to last at least that long. Then again, we pay for smartphones through the contract if we don't buy it outright initially.

Isn't it your birthday? Why are you getting what she wants you to get? That's seems like a waste of money to me.

Probably because she's struggling for ideas and there's nothing I specifically want or need.

what about an experience rather than a "thing"

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John_Vella wrote:

OK, so all we need to do is find a half African, half Chinese, half Asian, gay, one eyed, wheelchair bound dwarf with tourettes and a lisp, and a st st stutter and we could make the best panel show ever.

Well we settled for new clothes instead and did a shopping spree in Tommy Hilfiger.

I did try out my brother-in-law's Watch 3 which is cellular and has the larger face. I was impressed. But I suggested to wait until September and either buy the Watch 4, or the Watch 3 at a reduced price.